Nano quadrotors demonstrate complex swarm behavior

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The General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab, located at the University of Pennsylvania, is already well known for its work with quadrotors. In the past the quadrotor research team has managed to get a quadrotor flying aggressively, meaning it could land on angled surfaces and maneuver through small windows at high speed. Then the quadrotors were taught to work together to build a tower structure.

A new video posted by the GRASP Lab shows that development of quadrotors isn’t slowing down. Alex Kushleyev, Daniel Mellinger, and Vijay Kumar have advanced the quadrotor’s behavior to the point where they now can carry out some quite complex autonomous swarm behavior.

In the video below, teams of up to 20 nano quadrotors demonstrate movement in multiple formations. First of all we get to see formation flight where each autonomous quadrotor manages to hold their position in the formation perfectly during movement. Formations can also transition between many 3D shapes.

The intelligence of the swarm is such that formation flight can take into consideration obstacles. So, for example, 20 quadrotors flying in a 4 x 5 formation will automatically adjust their positions to travel through a small gap such as a window. Once through the gap they will move back into formation.

The nano quadrotors have been developed by KMel Robotics, but few specifics are known about their make up. The aggressive movement of the quadrotors is impressive, but it’s their ability to work autonomously and as a team that will get most people, and companies, excited.